The Hepatitis C Trust calls for Wales to lead the way in eliminating hepatitis C

The Hepatitis C Trust is today launching a new report on hepatitis C in Wales that urges the Welsh Government to take the lead in eliminating hepatitis C; a potentially fatal blood-borne virus that affects an estimated 12,000 – 14,000 people in Wales but that is undiagnosed in around half of all people infected.
The report, which was produced after interviews and focus groups with patients as well as frontline professionals, provides perspectives on the experiences of people living with hepatitis C, and highlights a number of key issues and challenges in the fight against the virus. These include the stigma still experienced by people with hepatitis C and the need for increased education of health professionals, as well as the need to increase the numbers of people diagnosed and ensure continued access to curative hepatitis C treatments.
The report is being launched today at a Welsh Assembly event, supported by biopharmaceutical company AbbVie and hosted by Rhun ap Iorwerth AM, Angela Burns AM and Jayne Bryant AM.  The event will bring together some of the contributors to the report as well as key figures working in and around hepatitis C in Wales.
Charles Gore, Chief Executive of The Hepatitis C Trust, said:
“We have produced this report in the belief that the views of those most affected by hepatitis C must be heard. It highlights the fantastic progress that has been made in recent years in Wales, with more people than ever before now being treated, and also outlines those areas where we must do more, such as tackling the stigma that people with hepatitis C still experience. Wales has an incredible opportunity to take the lead in the fight against the virus, and the next step should now be to commit to eliminating hepatitis C in Wales, and to map out the path towards a hepatitis C-free nation.”
The full report can be read by following the link below.